Mobilizing Seva (“Service”): Modes of Sikh Diasporic Action1
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MOBILIZING SEVA (“SERVICE”): MODES OF SIKH DIASPORIC ACTION1 ANNE MURPHY He who serves selflessly, meets the Lord.2 Abstract This paper considers the role of Seva, or social and religious service, within the formation of Sikh religious and social subjects in diaspora. Seva relates to a broader Sikh religious orientation, and diasporic processes of remembrance of and interaction with both the ‘home- land’ of Punjab (in India and Pakistan), and the various nation-states that Sikhs now are citizens of a multiple orientation that is typical of diasporas. In particular, I draw attention to the role of Seva as a form of diasporic action that has offered a potential alternative to militant political modes of action related to the Khalistan movement, which has sought an independent Sikh state in India-modes that in recent 1 Research for this article was undertaken while in India and the U.K. on a Ful- bright-Hays Dissertation Research Grant in 2002 and in New York City in 2001. Sincere thanks to the many people who gave generously of their time and informa- tion, as reflected in the article. Thanks also to Rishi Singh, formerly of the National Institute for Punjab Studies, and Mankanwal Singh Sehmi of USSA (United Sikhs in Service of America) for pointers they gave. Special thanks to Manjit Singh Bedi of Dera Baba Nanak and Phagwara for his generous help, and to members of the Sikh sangat (community) in Leeds, Southall, Leicester (particularly Gurdeep Sian), and Birmingham for their remarkable hospitality, and especially to Harpreet Singh Toor in New York. An early version of the September 11 material was first published on “asiasource.org,” as a part of the Asia Society’s extensive Web coverage of Septem- ber 11; a more developed version was presented in Chennai in May 2002 – thanks to the American Consulate of Chennai and the Sikh Social Society of Chennai for spon- soring that event. Thank you to Partha Chatterjee, Gregg Currie, John Stratton Hawley, Susan Murphy, Gurdeep Sian and Rupa Viswanath for critical readings of all or part; all remaining omissions and errors are my responsibility alone. Please note that all website addresses were valid as of August 31, 2002 and may be transitory. The material presented in this article is part of a larger ongoing project. 2 This selection from the canonical sacred scripture of the Sikhs, the Adi Granth or Guru Granth Sahib, is featured on a fund-raising leaflet produced by the Nishkam Sikh Welfare Council in New Delhi (see below). The Adi Granth contains the writ- ings of six of the ten Sikh Gurus (the first through fifth, and the ninth); before his death, the tenth living Guru (Guru Gobind Singh) conferred Guruship upon the text and ended the tradition of living Guruship. 338 years have lost power within the mainstream Sikh diaspora communi- ty (Thandi 1996). Thus, while the Khalistan issue has been of central importance in the determination of Sikh positions – religious, political, and diasporic–as other authors have argued, Seva represents a mode of transnational diasporic intervention that has accompanied, and in some cases supplanted, the Khalistani-mode. Finally, I argue that this realm of social and religious action must be considered broadly, out- side the Sikh case as well, as both a potential alternative to militant political action or as deeply implicated in it. Current debate over inter- national philanthropy alludes to both such two possibilities. Introduction “It is part of our religion,” said Kulwinder Singh, a taxi-driver in New York City. “This is the main thing in Sikhism.” Mr. Singh speaks of seva or “service” – in this case, the provision of free transportation by Sikh taxi drivers to volunteers aiding in the res- cue effort, and family and friends of victims after the destruction of the World Trade Center towers on September 11, 2001 in New York City. Sikhs were not alone in their efforts to help out: New York City’s diverse residents rallied together to aid in the rescue and clean- up efforts, and assist those searching (and then grieving) for those lost. Yet, Sikhs and others of South Asian descent and/or Muslim back- ground chose to contribute time and resources at the same time that many were targeted in bias and back-lash attacks in the weeks follow- ing September 11 (Goodstein and Lewin 2001; Goodstein and Niebuhr, 2001; Lewin and Niebuhr. 2001; SAALT 2002; et al.).3 The Sikh response to the World Trade Center tragedy – described by Kulwinder Singh and others as Seva or “service” – represents a mode of response shaped within a larger framework of Sikh social 3 See below. Indices of backlash-related articles have been compiled by several organizations, such as the Alliance of South Asians Taking Action (http://www.asa- ta.org/resources/articles/hatebacklash/index.htm) and South Asian Journalists Asso- ciation (http://www.saja.org/roundupsept11.html#backlash); the life span of these sites, however, may be limited. SAALT (South Asian American Leaders of Tomorrow 2002) published a study of bias crimes reported in the media in the first week after September 11, available at http://www.saalt.org/biasreport.pdf. See also “America’s Sikhs: Taking the Brunt – and Action” in Nishaan, Volume IV, 2001, p. 7 ff..